Remember the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition of 1955? Us neither. Fortunately, there are basically three important things to know about it. Firstly, it was the first overland crossing of Antarctica via the South Pole; secondly, it was the first expedition to reach the South Pole overland since Robert Falcon Scott’s ill-fated expedition of 1912; and thirdly, it’s the subject of Unimatic’s newest collab.

Interestingly enough, thanks to famed British designer (and military history buff) Nigel Cabourn, it’s actually the second Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition-themed watch from the Italian microbrand. Back in 2019, Unimatic collaborated with Cabourn on the U2-NC, a riff on the brand’s U2 field watch featuring an olive drab Cerakote-coated case, a navy blue dial, vintage-colored lume, and a map of the South Pole on its screw-down caseback. Seeing as it was limited to just 150 pieces, you might not have had the chance to snag one, and if so, you won’t want to sleep on the sequel.

Dubbed the Modello Cinque UT5-TANC, the new watch (which comes in two colorways) is once again the product of the fertile minds at Unimatic and Nigel Cabourn, but this time the good folks at Hong Kong menswear powerhouse The Armoury have joined the chat. Available with a stonewashed green or navy blue Cerakote coating on its 36mm stainless steel case, it gives classic tool watch looks that telegraph a readiness to spend a month in the bush (or the wilds of Antarctica, as the case may be). The oversized 8mm crown is easy to manipulate with gloves, while the lack of a rotating bezel means that the UT5-TANC offers only the essentials—nothing more.

As is the case with most Unimatic references, the dial is a picture of midcentury military perfection. Executed in navy blue rather than more traditional black, it features an open minute track and printed Arabic indices in Super-LumiNova GL “Old Radium” for a vintage vibe and plenty of low-light lume. Unimatic’s signature bifurcated sword hands are present and accounted for, while the Nigel Cabourn wordmark in bright orange—plus an orange-tipped seconds hand—offers a pop of search-and-rescue-themed color. Combined with the colored Cerakote case and the navy blue or forest green nylon strap, the result is subtle yet distinctive.

Courtesy of Unimatic